8 Abandoned Places that Look Truly Beautiful

There are a number of extremely beautiful locations around the world which are relatively unexplored as many people do not know much about them or simply, because they are difficult to access. The fact that they are untouched by humans makes them even more alluring and exciting. On the folowing list, you can see abandoned ships, abandoned houses, and so many other things, that are really amazing and magnificent. This article will guide you to witness the surprising grandeur of dilapidation.

1. Kolmanskop, Namib Desert

Urban explorers and adventurers are making their way to Kolmanskop, an old diamond mining town that was deserted in 1954 and is now filled with sand and, supposedly, haunted spirits. Kolmanskop’s uniquely European architecture makes its hospital, casino and theater stand out amid the Namibian sand. While it’s debatable how haunted Kolmanskop is, one thing is for sure: due to the climate of the desert, this village won’t be disappearing anytime soon.

2. SS Ayrfield, Homebush Bay, Australia

SS Ayrfield (originally launched as SS Corrimal) was a steel-hulled, single screw, steam collier of 1140 tonnes and 79.1m in length. It was built in the UK in 1911 and registered at Sydney in 1912. It was purchased by the Commonwealth Government and used to transport supplies to American troops stationed in the Pacific region during WWII.

3. Holland Island, Chesapeake Bay

Situated in the Chesapeake Bay, in Dorchester County, Maryland, the island had about 360 residents in 1910, a community of fishers and farmers, making it one of the largest inhabited islands in the Chesapeake Bay. Among the many building on the island there were 70 homes, many stores, a post office, a two-room school with two teachers, a church, and a community center.

Holland Island though is primarily made up of clay and silt and not rock. The wind and tide began to seriously erode the island in 1914 and in 1918 the last family left Holland Island after a tropical storm damaged the island’s church. The island continued to subside year by year and today at high tide the island is underwater. In October 2010, the last remaining house on Holland Island, built in 1888, collapsed.

4. 15th century monastery, Black Forest, Germany

The monastery was founded in 1084–85 in the Black Forest, by the source of the Brigach, against the background of the Investiture Controversy, as a result of the community of interests of the Swabian aristocracy and the church reform party, the founders being Hezelo and Hesso of the family of the Vögte of Reichenau, and the politically influential Abbot William of Hirsau. The intended site was initially to be at Königseggwald in Upper Swabia, but at William’s behest St. Georgen was chosen instead. The settlement, by monks from Hirsau Abbey, took place in the spring and summer of 1084; the chapel was dedicated on 24 June 1085.

5. The Maunsell Sea Forts, England

The Maunsell Sea Forts were named for their designer, Guy Maunsell, and they were a crucial part of Britain’s defense network during World War Two. Seven forts – four naval and three army – were built in the Thames estuary, and several can still be seen on the horizon today.

The Army sea forts were a series of seven towers, all connected by walkways to a central control tower. Built beginning in 1942 as anti-aircraft defense, the forts were armed with both gun and searchlight towers. Constructed on land and floated out to sea where they were installed, they were a massive success, and plans were drafted to build more of the towers. Those plans were scrapped in 1952, however, although the towers are still considered among the most successful of the early ancestors of today’s off-shore structures.

6. Czestochowa, Poland’s abandoned train depot

Part of the Kingdom of Prussia and the expanding Russian empire from the late 18th century until the outbreak of World War One, the city of Czestochowa entered the 20th century as one of the leading industrial centres of Russian Poland. Its success was in part due to the opening of the Warsaw-Vienna Railway in 1846, which linked the city to the rest of Europe. Nowadays, Czestochowa is a tourist hub attracting millions of visitors and pilgrims each year. And with six railway stations, it’s little wonder that a train depot or two should become abandoned along the sprawling network. Treated to a touch of HDR, this overgrown, weed-strewn depot looks like a piece of post-apocalyptic artwork. But it’s actually a very real place. It’s difficult to be entirely certain whether or not it’s completely abandoned, but amid rusting track, overgrown yards and ageing, vandalised rolling stock, the lines between derelict and active are somewhat blurred.

7. Abandoned distillery, Barbados

Michigan Central Station (also known as Michigan Central Depot or MCS), built in mid-1912 through 1913 for the Michigan Central Railroad, was Detroit, Michigan’s passenger rail depot from its opening in 1913 after the previous Michigan Central Station burned, until the cessation of Amtrak service on January 6, 1988. At the time of its construction, it was the tallest rail station in the world.

8. Craco, Italy

Craco is an abandoned commune and medieval village located in the Region of Basilicata and the Province of Matera in Italy. About 25 miles inland from the Gulf of Taranto at the instep of the “boot” of Italy. It is typical of the hill towns of the region with mildly undulating shapes and the lands surrounding it sown with wheat. It was abandoned in 1963 due to recurring earthquakes.